Black Worm
The Black Worm almost resembles an octopus that uses its many tendril-like feet to anchor itself on cave ceilings. It is nearly impossible to spot as it very closely resembles a stalagtite until it opens it's mouth and extends a long, sucker-like appendage that is capped with a round, toothy mouth. Normally the black worm would feed upon bats, rats or other vermine in caves but won't hesitate to strike at what it believes to be food. A Black Worm's tentacle-span measures just under 5 feet—when attached to a cave roof and disguised as a stalactite, its length varies from 2 to 3 feet. A typical Black Worm weighs 40 pounds. The creatures' heads and bodies are usually the color of basalt or dark granite, but their webbed tentacles can change color to match their surroundings. The Black Worm isn't a particularly good climber, but it can cling to a cave roof like a bat, hanging by the hooks at the ends of its tentacles so that its dangling body looks nearly indistinguishable from a stalactite. In this hidden position, the Black Worm waits for prey to pass beneath, at which point it drops and swoops down to attack its victim, slamming its body against the foe and attempting to wrap its webbed tentacles around the target. If the Black Worm misses its prey, it swoops back up and drops again until its prey is vanquished or the Black Worm is grievously injured (in which case the creature flutters back up to the roof to hide and hope its “prey” leaves it alone). The Black Worm's inborn ability to cloak the area around it in magical darkness gives it an additional advantage over foes that rely upon light to see. Black Worm prefer to dwell and hunt in the caves and passageways that are closest to the surface, as these tend to possess more traffic for the monsters to feed upon. Yet they do not confine themselves to these dark caverns, and can sometimes be found dwelling in ruined fortresses or even in the sewers of bustling cities. Anywhere food is plentiful and there's a ceiling to cling to is a possible den for a Black Worm. A Black Worm's life cycle is swift—young grow to maturity in a matter of months, and most die of old age after only a few years. As a result, generations of Black Worm quickly accrue, and over the years the evolution of these creatures is similarly swift. In this manner, a cavern's ecosystem can have a significant effect on a group of Black Worm' appearance, abilities, and tactics. Aquatic caverns might develop Black Worm that can swim, while those beset with volcanism might generate Black Worm with a resistance to fire. Other Black Worm variants might develop much stonier hides, and instead of swooping down to crush prey might simply drop and pierce them through with their stalactite-like lengths. The deepest, darkest caverns are rumored to host Black Worm of incredible size, capable of smothering multiple human-sized foes at once in their leathery folds. Category:Creature/Aberration Category:Fauna/Cave Category:Fauna/Underground Category:Creature/Small Category:Fauna/Marrash